After reading the article, all I could thing was wow, this guy still doesn't get it.

Says at the end he's never heard of a defenseless running back--all he has to do is go back and look at his hit on Lacy--wrapped up, stood up by other players, a sitting duck for his head shot--to see what a defenseless RB looks like.

He said he changed the way he hits, and that he didn't use his helmet, but launching at Marshall looked exactly like when he launched at Lacy.

NFL said his comments were inappropriate. If so, they ought to fine him again. Refs should flag him every time he even looks at someone cross-eyed. Sit his butt for the rest of the year.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather, who served a one-game suspension Sunday for the way he hits, vowed to begin targeting players' knees and fired a shot at Chicago Bears star receiver Brandon Marshall, saying players who beat their girlfriends should be out of the NFL.

Meriweather has received numerous fines over the years for his helmet-to-helmet hits. After two more incidents against the Bears on Oct. 20, the NFL suspended Meriweather for two games until an appeals process reduced the ban to one.

"I guess I just got to take people's knees out," Meriweather said Monday morning in the Redskins' locker room. "That's the only way. I would hate to end a guy's career over a rule, but I guess it's better other people than me getting suspended for longer.

"You just have to go low now, man. You've got to end people's careers. You got to tear people's ACLs and mess up people's knees. You can't hit them high anymore."

Then Meriweather turned to Marshall and Bears tight end Martellus Bennett, who both publicly criticized the hard-hitting safety last week. Marshall received one of Meriweather's hits in the game on Oct. 20.

"I respect the league trying to better our game," Marshall said after that game. "Guys like that, maybe he needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely."

Bennett said later in the week that he wanted to punch Meriweather. But Meriweather's ire was directed more at Marshall.

"He feels like I need to be kicked out of the league, I feel like people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out of the league, too," Meriweather said.

Marshall has been arrested multiple times on alleged domestic-abuse charges but has never been convicted.

"You tell me who you'd rather have?" Meriweather said. "Someone who plays aggressive on the field or someone who beat up their girlfriend?"

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan did not approve of Meriweather's comments.

"I'm not sure I would have used those choice of words," Shanahan said.

When contacted by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the NFL said it was aware of Meriweather's comments, saying that they were inappropriate.

Marshall took to Twitter on Monday shortly after Meriweather's comments.

There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing #MachineMarshall

Meriweather said he thought the appeals process was handled well, citing former NFL coach Ted Cottrell's role in reducing the penalty.

Meriweather was fined $42,000 for a hit against Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2. He also was fined $50,000 for a hit in 2010 with New England and accrued $45,000 in fines a year later with Chicago.

"The NFL do what they have to do," Meriweather said. "I guess they felt like suspending me for that game was the right thing to do, so they decided to make an example that they won't tolerate aggressive plays."

Meriweather maintained that he did not use his helmet on either hit against Chicago. That was the case he made during the appeals process, which occurred over the phone.

Meriweather agreed that he did launch into the defender on one hit, though he wasn't sure which one it was. Replays showed that he launched into Marshall after the receiver dropped a pass in the end zone.

"I know everybody's looking at the tape and saying, 'He's a dirty player, he's this, he's that,' which I get," Meriweather said. "But if anyone goes and looks at the tape, I didn't use my head in either hit. I'm moving on from it."

Meriweather said he has changed the way he hits but will have to do so even more now to avoid a worse suspension in the future.

Shanahan said safeties, more than cornerbacks, will attempt to tackle higher, taking runners head-on.

"Nobody's going to try to hurt anybody," Shanahan said. "But if you're going to err on the side of caution, you would rather go low than you would high. Brandon knows that he's got to go lower or he's not going to be playing in the National Football League."

The Redskins say they have focused more on tackling drills the past several weeks, and Meriweather said he'll work harder to stay low.

"Once you do something so much, it becomes habit," Meriweather said. "I think if I go in practice and simulate going low, it'll become habit and I'll be able to do it in a game."

But Meriweather wasn't done.

"They told me to use my shoulder, I use my shoulder. I still get fined and they still say I used my head," he said. "I mean, defenseless running backs ... I never heard of a defenseless running back."

Meriweather was fined $42,000 for a hit against Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2. He also was fined $50,000 for a hit in 2010 with New England and accrued $45,000 in fines a year later with Chicago.

The problem is in part the NFL front office. How can they fine him $50,000 in 2010 $45,000 in 2011 and down to $42,000 for the Lacy hit?

It should have been $50,000 $75,000 then $100,000. if they want to get this butt wipe's attention.

The problem is in part the NFL front office. How can they fine him $50,000 in 2010 $45,000 in 2011 and down to $42,000 for the Lacy hit?

It should have been $50,000 $75,000 then $100,000. if they want to get this butt wipe's attention.

Suspensions should have already started by the Lacy/Starks spearing efforts. The money clearly wasn't getting his attention.

I did have a chuckle about the girlfriend beating jab at Marshall. Of course, his point would only be valid had Marshall been found guilty. Meriweather isn't an alleged headhunter; he IS one. We have his actions on tape.

But I digress, I don't know how the NFL could justify lowering his punishment when he has repeatedly shown in his commentary that he doesn't get it and won't change. I would really like to have been a fly on the wall for that appeal.

I can empathize a lot more with what used to be called a "hard-nosed" safety like Meriweather than I can for pathetic whiners like Marshall and Bennett.

All this protection crap is bad for the game, and it's a valid point that making a big deal about high hits is inevitably gonna increase low hits - again, oh so terrible.

Injuries to people making multiple millions playing a fun game are ...... simply not something to get all hyper about unless they affect the performance of our team. If any given player can't stand the risk, let him give up those multiple millions he gets paid to play a game any of us would give our eye teeth to be able to play for about 1/10 as much.

It is dumbasses like this that make the need for the fines and suspensions because he is to stupid to see what is trying to be done, and change. Hit hits haven't been incidental helmet contact. He has targeted the head and the rule doesn't care if he led with the shoulder or helmet. The rule specifically states cannot lead to the head or neck area of a defenseless player with helmet, shoulder or forearm.

Oh I can't hit around the head so the ONLY other option is the Knees? Is there something wrong with the other 3 feet of body between the head/neck and knees? Did the dumbass never hear of a waist? Since there is no rule against hitting the knees, there isn't much the NFL will be able to do for now. But I would hope, that his teammates pull him aside and tell him to quit being an asshole. And if not, that players police it on the field and take him out if he intentionally takes out somebody else's knees.

It is dumbasses like this that make the need for the fines and suspensions because he is to stupid to see what is trying to be done, and change. Hit hits haven't been incidental helmet contact. He has targeted the head and the rule doesn't care if he led with the shoulder or helmet. The rule specifically states cannot lead to the head or neck area of a defenseless player with helmet, shoulder or forearm.

Oh I can't hit around the head so the ONLY other option is the Knees? Is there something wrong with the other 3 feet of body between the head/neck and knees? Did the dumbass never hear of a waist? Since there is no rule against hitting the knees, there isn't much the NFL will be able to do for now. But I would hope, that his teammates pull him aside and tell him to quit being an asshole. And if not, that players police it on the field and take him out if he intentionally takes out somebody else's knees.

Jermichael Finley stated in his Tweets that he lowered his head to protect his knees. Players do that. The point is, "the other 3 feet of body between the head/neck and knees" really is a lot less, and in the heat of battle, guys aren't gonna be able to think that fast just to comply with some stupid rules.

As for being a "headhunter" - deliberately trying to hurt somebody, kick me in the ass for saying this if your hyper-protective PC mind makes you want to do so, but I just don't see anything wrong with players having a mean streak - Merriweather and others now as well as guys like Jack Tatum and who was that Packer Safety who was known for headhunting? I really don't see anything wrong with that, and I think Ray Nitschke and Jim Taylor would agree - whichever end of the deliberate hurtful hits they might have been on.

One more thing, going back to the days of yesteryear, not when a boy could play Center for a major college with no helmet, and grow up to be president of the United States, not to the days of leather helmets (I had one of them when I was about 5, but they were out before I was old enough to actually play), but to the earlier days of plastic helmets: those helmets were every bit the "weapon" that today's helmets are, but they did not have the inner padding and suspension for protection which today's helmets have. Back then, and with Tatum-like hits drawing respect rather than criticism and fines, and kids taught from a young age to hit basically the forbidden way now, you'd think maybe guys would be laying dead on the field - head injuries galore. But no! It just didn't happen. I say again, this hyper-safety crap is just that - crap.

not defending the guy, but it isnt exactly the easiest thing to hit a guy these days legally. im not saying headshots are legal but its dam hard to hit a guy at full speed and not make contact sometimes high, i think defensive guys have a very tough job when comes to legal vs illegal !!

I can empathize a lot more with what used to be called a "hard-nosed" safety like Meriweather than I can for pathetic whiners like Marshall and Bennett.

All this protection crap is bad for the game, and it's a valid point that making a big deal about high hits is inevitably gonna increase low hits - again, oh so terrible.

Injuries to people making multiple millions playing a fun game are ...... simply not something to get all hyper about unless they affect the performance of our team. If any given player can't stand the risk, let him give up those multiple millions he gets paid to play a game any of us would give our eye teeth to be able to play for about 1/10 as much.

Bull, watch some plays by Ronnie Lott for example. He's out there crushing guys with his shoulderpads. There's a difference between the "hard-nosed" old players like that and Meriweather and it's that those guys were trying to land big hits to tackle people and Merriweather is only trying to knock people unconcious. There is no reason to tackle like Meriweather does (Arms in chest, feet off the ground, top of helmet into other players head) other than to knock a guy out. That's not an effective way to tackle someone at all and it's not hard-nosed it's just stupid and cheap and they shouldn't allow it no matter how much money they make.

Those old school guys were crushing and hurting people yeah but they were also good legit tacklers. Meriweather's just taking his helmet and turning it into a weapon and making shitty hits. Jack Tatum yeah he was dirty as hell but he wasn't just hitting people he was TACKLING them, he was playing the game. Merriweather to me isn't playing the game. I'm sick of people comparing him to legends. Merriweather is more Charles Martin than he is Jack Tatum.

Jermichael Finley stated in his Tweets that he lowered his head to protect his knees. Players do that. The point is, "the other 3 feet of body between the head/neck and knees" really is a lot less, and in the heat of battle, guys aren't gonna be able to think that fast just to comply with some stupid rules.

As for being a "headhunter" - deliberately trying to hurt somebody, kick me in the ass for saying this if your hyper-protective PC mind makes you want to do so, but I just don't see anything wrong with players having a mean streak - Merriweather and others now as well as guys like Jack Tatum and who was that Packer Safety who was known for headhunting? I really don't see anything wrong with that, and I think Ray Nitschke and Jim Taylor would agree - whichever end of the deliberate hurtful hits they might have been on.

Sorry but that is bullshit. In the heat of battle, players CAN think that fast. They have to think to decide to go high, they can think to not go high just as easily. Players throughout the league have and do each and every week. Players like Mariweather who have refused to change are what cause the NFL to need to fine and suspend. Had players changed originally, the NFL wouldn't be fining.

Players can have a "Meanstreak" without being a dirty headhunter. AJ has been playing with a meanstreak and doing it clean. Sure accidents and incidental hits happen, but it is clear when a player is aiming for the head like Meriweather.

Gipson hit Finley cleanly. He wasn't fined by the NFL, and he did it without headhunting.

Sorry but that is bullsh!t. In the heat of battle, players CAN think that fast. They have to think to decide to go high, they can think to not go high just as easily. Players throughout the league have and do each and every week. Players like Mariweather who have refused to change are what cause the NFL to need to fine and suspend. Had players changed originally, the NFL wouldn't be fining.

Players can have a "Meanstreak" without being a dirty headhunter. AJ has been playing with a meanstreak and doing it clean. Sure accidents and incidental hits happen, but it is clear when a player is aiming for the head like Meriweather.

Gipson hit Finley cleanly. He wasn't fined by the NFL, and he did it without headhunting.

I didn't mean to imply anything negative about Gipson - just that players instinctively or consciously often duck their heads making the target area a lot smaller - if you make the nicey nice assumption that it's taboo to hit too low in addition to illegal to hit too high. The bullshit is the whole emphasis on regulating this kind of thing at all.

Sorry if it offends anybody's sensitivities or whatever, but I am NOT concerned about players being so "dirty" as to try and hurt other players. For the money those guys make, they ought to have risks - and if they don't like it, they can damn well quit and give up that ridiculous money they make. The only time it bothers me is if OUR players are the victims, and then the solution ain't to whine about it, it's to get revenge. Remember Fred "the Hammer" Williams in the first Super Bowl? Oops, I forgot, a large percentage in here weren't born yet then. Kramer and Thurston BROKE the Hammer's hammer. THAT is how you deal with "dirty" play.

As for the other post about Tatum and Lott, I think there is a lot of unsubstantiated selective memory in there. Do you really think about half of the defensive players in the Hall of Fame weren't out to hurt and maim every bit as much as Merriweather? I'm not really defending him simply because he is not a Packer, but if we did happen to have a "dirty" player on OUR team, hell yeah, I'd defend whatever he did - except for hurting the team by getting caught and called for penalties.

lol since there is "supposed to be risks" they should just make it legal to run around diving at the backs of peoples knees who aren't looking during or after any play. They may as well make it legal to twist ankles or groin shots with the knees. How about making it legal to eye gouge a ball carrier so he'll drop the ball. There's gotta be risks right?

I can empathize a lot more with what used to be called a "hard-nosed" safety like Meriweather than I can for pathetic whiners like Marshall and Bennett.

All this protection crap is bad for the game, and it's a valid point that making a big deal about high hits is inevitably gonna increase low hits - again, oh so terrible.

Injuries to people making multiple millions playing a fun game are ...... simply not something to get all hyper about unless they affect the performance of our team. If any given player can't stand the risk, let him give up those multiple millions he gets paid to play a game any of us would give our eye teeth to be able to play for about 1/10 as much.

If you really appreciated old-school football, people launching themselves off the ground and drilling opposing players' heads with their own head in place of tackling would infuriate you. There's a difference between hard-nosed football and stupid football.

lol since there is "supposed to be risks" they should just make it legal to run around diving at the backs of peoples knees who aren't looking during or after any play. They may as well make it legal to twist ankles or groin shots with the knees. How about making it legal to eye gouge a ball carrier so he'll drop the ball. There's gotta be risks right?

AHH! The good old days.

I remember reading a story about Papa Halas. In its infancy, a tackled ball carrier could push the ball forward and make that new place the Line of Scrimmage. Obviously it was frowned upon by the defense so only dirty players/cheaters would try and move the ball.

One day Halas and the Bears were playing Jim Thorpe and one of the early teams he played for. George didn't think anyone was watching him so while still laying on the ground he began inch the ball forward a little. 2 or three inches is not going to get you a first down or a touchdown but it may help get the first down on the next play. Especially on the muddy fields they had back then.

Thorpe saw him moving the ball and he jumped on his back. He said something to the effect of "If you are going to cheat I am going to ride you like a horse." Halas said Jim could have really hurt him and it would have been legal. Stomp on his hands, knee him in the back, many other things. He learned his lesson and didn't do that anymore.

Players today constantly try and place the ball not a few inches but a yard or more further down field after they have been tackled. Not a single player can come over to them and jump on them little alone step on their hand or knee them in the back for doing so.

not defending the guy, but it isnt exactly the easiest thing to hit a guy these days legally. im not saying headshots are legal but its dam hard to hit a guy at full speed and not make contact sometimes high, i think defensive guys have a very tough job when comes to legal vs illegal !!

You are correct. there have been a few Packer players along with others that have been fined for an inadvertent hit on the ball carrier. It is more than a little frustrating.

My point in bringing up the olden days was that there was NOT a lot of serious injuries even then - probably less than today with all the protection crap and much better equipment. Yeah, players are bigger/stronger/faster now, but it still seems that all these stupid safety rules, etc. intruding into the game are NOT really making it any safer - if that is the goal, and I still say, it obviously is an acceptable risk considering the HUGE money even marginal players are paid. If it wasn't acceptable, they would quit.

As for some of the examples cited, obviously late hits should be penalized - that's like a soldier going into town after the battle is over and shooting people. During the play, on the other hand, almost anything goes - eye gouging was the reason for face masks. A lot of other stuff could/should be dealt with by teammates getting revenge (or preventative) as in my example of the Packers breaking Fred Williams hammer in the first Super Bowl. A lot of other "dirty play" is self correcting also in that the player doing it would be diverting himself from a more effective play - a sure textbook tackle - to try and hurt somebody - maybe missing and allowing a long gain.

The point is, all this stupid shit - or maybe I should say most of it - legislated in the name of safety is unnecessary, often counter-productive to its own goals, and generally bad for the game.

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